Betsy DeVos faces the HELP Committee: Five things to watch

Senate Democrats are expected to grill Betsy DeVos with tough questions on Tuesday — part of a strategy to paint Donald Trump’s Education secretary pick as an enemy of public education.

Democrats’ opposition has been hardened by the fact that DeVos is a longtime GOP donor with ties to anti-gay rights and anti-organized labor groups. DeVos, a billionaire, has long wielded influence in Michigan politics — where she previously ran the state’s Republican Party — and in the school choice advocacy world, where she’s spent millions pushing for charter schools and voucher programs. But DeVos has never held elected office, and both sides will be watching to see how she handles the spotlight during her confirmation hearing before the Senate HELP Committee. Senators also want to hear her speak publicly for the first time on many critical education issues, ranging from student loan oversight to the federal government’s role in funding preschool.

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Republican HELP senators — four of whom have received campaign contributions from DeVos — will likely warmly welcome her as a potential Education secretary. Her views on K-12 education are very much in line with many GOP lawmakers, and she has strong ties to Republican establishment figures such as Jeb Bush.

Even though Democrats such as ranking member Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) say they are troubled by DeVos’ record, it’s unlikely they can thwart her nomination. Democrats view the hearing as their chance to get DeVos on the record regarding her specific viewpoints, and to get assurances from her on issues such as civil rights enforcement.

Here are five things to watch during Wednesday’s hearing.

INTERACTION WITH SENATORS: HELP Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) has called DeVos an “excellent” pick. She’s also likely to find an ally in fellow Republicans such as Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who spoke at the aviation charter school in Michigan that DeVos’ husband founded. On the Democratic side, Murray has set the tone that she’s not happy with DeVos’ record when it comes to both vouchers and charter schools. Murray has also said she’s concerned about DeVos’ "extensive financial entanglements and potential conflicts of interest." Other Democratic senators on the committee to watch include party stars Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent. Kaine’s home state of Virginia has very few charter schools and he received enthusiastic support from teachers unions during his campaign as Hillary Clinton’s running mate. Warren is known for her sharp line of questioning during committee hearings, and has already said she’s “extremely concerned” about DeVos’ support for vouchers. Sanders has been highly critical of for-profit charter schools.

FOR-PROFIT EDUCATION: DeVos’ views on the role of for-profit companies in both K-12 and higher education will likely get scrutiny. DeVos and her husband, Dick, are considered architects of Michigan’s charter school laws because of their pro-charter lobbying and large campaign donations to charter-friendly state lawmakers. Today, school systems in Detroit, Flint and Grand Rapids enroll some of the highest percentages of charter school students nationwide. But the state’s charter schools perform worse, on average, than traditional public schools on the “nation’s report card” — problems critics attribute to Michigan’s high number of for-profit charter school companies. On the higher education front, the Obama administration, at the urging of progressive senators like Warren, has taken an aggressive approach to regulating for-profit colleges. It’s widely assumed that the Trump administration will adopt a more pro-business stance when it comes to the sector, but neither Trump nor DeVos have revealed their views on for-profits.

CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES: Very few topics out of the Education Department stir up emotions on both sides of the aisle like the Office for Civil Rights. Under Obama, the office became more active on issues such as campus sexual assault, transgender student bathroom access and student discipline — and conservatives complained of federal overreach. Democrats want to pin DeVos down on how she will handle these matters. They also want assurances from her that she will protect special-needs students, immigrants and English language learners. She and her family’s donations to groups that support anti-gay rights causes could be scrutinized by Democrats during the hearing. DeVos may also be asked for her views on sexual assault cases should be handled by college administrators.

QUESTIONS ON EXPERIENCE AND IDEOLOGY: DeVos has no direct experience working in education. She has never been a school teacher or college president. Democrats have questioned her qualifications for the job — and will likely do so again during the hearing. They also see her as having an ideological view that is hostile toward traditional public schools. The Republican establishment, meanwhile, is much more receptive to DeVos’ education views. On a more practical level, DeVos will likely take questions on how she views the federal role under the Every Student Succeeds Act, which gave states more power than No Child Left Behind. She could also field questions about her views on the Common Core standards, which are in use in more than 40 states. Trump campaigned heavily against the Common Core, and DeVos took heat from some conservative groups for her connections to groups that support the standards. The day Trump named her as his pick, DeVos issued a statement insisting she personally opposed Common Core — a statement she reiterated later at a Trump rally in her hometown of Grand Rapids.

ISSUES BEYOND K-12: Very little is publicly known about DeVos’ views on higher education and early childhood education. The Education Department oversees the nation’s massive student loan program, and this role has only grown in significance as the department reviews loan-forgiveness claims from hundreds of thousands of former for-profit college students who say they were defrauded by their schools. Senators will want to know where DeVos stands on everything from income-based repayment plans to Obama’s “Scorecard” on college costs. Senators might also ask for details on how she views the federal role in early childhood education — an area of focus for the Obama administration.